{"id":8622,"date":"2020-09-09T16:51:18","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T16:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/?p=8622"},"modified":"2020-09-10T11:32:11","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T11:32:11","slug":"david-hall-beneath-cold-seas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/09\/david-hall-beneath-cold-seas\/","title":{"rendered":"David Hall Beneath Cold Seas"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>David Hall Beneath Cold Seas<\/h2>\n<p>David Hall&#8217;s first dive in the cold waters off British Columbia, Canada, was in 1995. This was the start of what he describes in his book <em>Beneath Cold Seas<\/em> as a love affair with the Pacific North West.<\/p>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-8621\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--300x288.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--300x288.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--150x144.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--768x738.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--1024x985.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--1200x1154.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--1234x1186.jpg 1234w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--320x308.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--375x361.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--600x577.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--900x865.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--1300x1250.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition--110x106.jpg 110w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Beneath-Cold-Seas-softcover-edition-.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>Book published in 4 countries<\/h3>\n<p>In the book, now published in 4 countries (USA, Canada, UK and Germany) and featuring David&#8217;s spectacular images and informative text, he explores the amazing variety of marine life of the region, which extends south to California and north to Alaska.<\/p>\n<p>We have created a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/books\/photographers-books\/beneath-cold-seas-by-david-hall.html\">new Beneath Cold Seas gallery<\/a> which contains many more of David&#8217;s images from the book. And we asked David in the Q&amp;A below to tell us more about the project and his remarkable images&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Diverse and endemic invertebrate life<\/h3>\n<p>The cold seas of Canada&#8217;s Pacific coast are especially rich in invertebrate life, much of it endemic to the region. Sea stars, jellyfish, anemones, nudibranchs, crabs and chitons are particularly numerous and diverse.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery gallery-8622 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Moon jelly (Aurelia labiata) and Cross jellies (Mitrocoma cellularia) split level view in Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia. October.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647728-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Moon jelly (Aurelia labiata) and Cross jellies (Mitrocoma cellularia) split level view in Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia. October.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647799-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Hooded nudibranchs (Melibe leonina) clinging to Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Nigei Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647799-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647799-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647799-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647799-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Hooded nudibranchs (Melibe leonina) clinging to Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Nigei Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647819-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Purple and Ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus) preying on Pacific blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus). Also seen are Green Surf Anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica), Short Plumose Anemones (Metridium senile), barnacles, limpets and other intertidal invertebrates. Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647819-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647819-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647819-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647819-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Purple and Ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus) preying on Pacific blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus). Also seen are Green Surf Anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica), Short Plumose Anemones (Metridium senile), barnacles, limpets and other intertidal invertebrates. Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647878-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) showing arms and suckers, Vernon Rock, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647878-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647878-150x99.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647878-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647878-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647878-161x106.jpg 161w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) showing arms and suckers, Vernon Rock, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647874-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"A Giant rock scallop (Crassadoma gigantea) encrusted with and surrounded by several other invertebrates animals, including White anemones (Metridium sp.), White mushroom ascidians (Distaplia sp.), Red soft coral (Gersemia sp.), unidentified yellow sponges, and a sea cucumber. Seven Tree Island, Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647874-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647874-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647874-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647874-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"A Giant rock scallop (Crassadoma gigantea) encrusted with and surrounded by several other invertebrates animals, including White anemones (Metridium sp.), White mushroom ascidians (Distaplia sp.), Red soft coral (Gersemia sp.), unidentified yellow sponges, and a sea cucumber. Seven Tree Island, Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647793-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Sea fleas (Chromopleustes oculatus) on dorsal surface of a Giant sunflower seastar, Port Neville, Johnstone Strait, British Columbia, Canada. March.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647793-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647793-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647793-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647793-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Sea fleas (Chromopleustes oculatus) on dorsal surface of a Giant sunflower seastar, Port Neville, Johnstone Strait, British Columbia, Canada. March.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647719-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Maroon hermit crabs (Pagurus hemphilli) in shells of Blue Topsnail (Calliostoma ligatum) Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647719-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647719-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647719-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647719-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Maroon hermit crabs (Pagurus hemphilli) in shells of Blue Topsnail (Calliostoma ligatum) Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h3>David tells us about the first 3 images from the gallery above<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Moon Jelly and Cross Jellies in Browning Pass<\/strong>. &#8220;I felt that for a book I needed high quality images that would give the reader a sense of place.\u00a0 Accomplishing this with underwater photography in an environment with limited visibility proved difficult, if not impossible.\u00a0 I eventually decided to rely upon \u201csplit-level\u201d imaging to accomplish my goal, and devised a method of doing this in deep water where I could not stand.\u00a0 It required taking many images without looking through the viewfinder, in order to obtain a few usable ones.\u00a0 This particular image was made in Browning Pass, near the northern tip of Vancouver Island, a place which proved especially productive for my work.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hooded Nudibranch clinging to Bull Kelp<\/strong>. &#8220;Hooded nudibranchs are shell-less snails, molluscs with an expansile \u201coral hood\u201d that look superficially like jellyfish.\u00a0 They are among my favorite subjects for close-up photography, but are even more impressive when viewing dozens or hundreds of them at one time, slowly opening and closing rhythmically, like a silent symphony orchestra.\u00a0 Once again, a good underwater, scenic image of this was difficult to pull off, but I kept trying; I like this one, which has an almost unreal, fairy tale quality&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Purple and Ochre Sea Stars. &#8220;<\/strong>I have seen many tide pool photographs taken from above, through the water\u2019s surface.\u00a0 This image is an attempt to do the opposite: to photograph the animals in a tide pool from below, looking up through the surface, where trees can be seen in the upper right corner of the image.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>The story behind this remarkable body of work<\/h3>\n<p>Q: What makes the waters of the Pacific North West so special and so inspirational for your photography?<\/p>\n<p>A: &#8220;Nearly all of my early diving\u00a0 was on tropical coral reefs.\u00a0 It was not until I first acquired a drysuit in 1994, that I was able to take on the more challenging conditions existing in cold, temperate waters. \u00a0After my first dive trip to British Columbia in 1995, I fell in love \u2013 with the people, the land and the amazing marine life \u2013 said to be the most diverse of any temperate sea. After that, I made more than a dozen trips over the next 20 years, which enabled me to acquire sufficient images for a book, and <em>Beneath Cold Seas: The Underwater Wilderness of the Pacific Northwest<\/em> was the result.!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Q: What are the challenges of diving and photographing in these cold waters?<\/p>\n<p>A: &#8220;Both the diving and the photography were often challenging.\u00a0 Most dives were possible only at slack tide, which was typically brief, requiring careful planning.\u00a0 The need to use a lot of insulation under my drysuit meant wearing as much as 20 kg of lead weight to sink below the surface.\u00a0 Heavily insulated, dry gloves made manipulation of camera controls difficult at times.\u00a0 The green water was filled with microscopic algae as well as \u00a0larger particles which at times limited underwater visibility to less than one metre.\u00a0 In spite of the difficulty, I became all the more determined to do justice to what existed below the surface, but was unseen by most people.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Abundant food for marine mammals<\/h3>\n<p>Unsurprisingly, the abundant fish and invertebrates of the British Columbia coast provide rich pickings for a variety of marine mammals, including the endangered Steller sea lion.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery gallery-8622 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647868-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) using a large,encrusted boulder as a tool to scratch its head against, Gowland Harbour, Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada. March.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647868-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647868-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647868-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647868-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) using a large,encrusted boulder as a tool to scratch its head against, Gowland Harbour, Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada. March.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647906-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Pacific White-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) underwater, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647906-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647906-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647906-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647906-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Pacific White-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) underwater, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647770-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) group underwater, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada. February.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647770-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647770-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647770-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647770-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) group underwater, Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada. February.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647716-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) near the Wreck of the Themis, Croker Rock, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647716-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647716-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647716-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647716-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) near the Wreck of the Themis, Croker Rock, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia. September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h3>The interesting experience of capturing the 2 images above!<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Steller Sea Lions.<\/strong> &#8220;These are the largest of the sea lions; males may exceed one ton in weight.\u00a0 I was diving alone at Hornby Island in winter, when I was completely surrounded by this group of twenty or more.\u00a0 At first they were only curious, but soon became increasingly aggressive, pulling and pushing me around like a rag doll, and eventually forcing me to surface and leave the water.\u00a0 Before surfacing, I hastily made several exposures with my camera; this one is my favourite.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Harbor Seal near the wreck of the Themis.<\/strong><span> &#8220;This day I had come with some friends to photograph the wolf eels that make their homes within this century-old shipwreck. \u00a0\u00a0After a while, \u00a0I looked up toward the surface, and noticed a shy harbor seal, watching me through the kelp canopy.\u00a0 From time to time the seal approached, eventually coming close enough for this portrait.\u00a0 It is interesting that marine mammals often react to humans very differently from their terrestrial cousins.\u00a0 On land, where our ancestors have walked for millions of years, wild animals tend to see us as either predators or prey.\u00a0 But human divers have begun visiting the underwater world only recently, and marine mammals often seem to react to us with curiosity, and occasionally, even seem to offer friendship.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Home to a spectacular array of fish species<\/h3>\n<p>This underwater wilderness and its luxuriant kelp forests are also home to some spectacular fish species.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery gallery-8622 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon portrait'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647804-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei) Staples Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647804-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647804-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647804-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei) Staples Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647841-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Split level of Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) during migration; Adams River, British Columbia, Canada. October.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647841-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647841-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647841-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647841-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Split level of Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) during migration; Adams River, British Columbia, Canada. October.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Decorated warbonnets (Chirolophis decoratus) mated pair, the larger one with a swollen belly being a gravid female. Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647888-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Decorated warbonnets (Chirolophis decoratus) mated pair, the larger one with a swollen belly being a gravid female. Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Schooling rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) with Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Different species of rockfish often swim together in mixed schools, as here. Hunt Rock, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647762-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Schooling rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) with Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Different species of rockfish often swim together in mixed schools, as here. Hunt Rock, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647727-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Red Irish lord fish (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) Among thecamouflaged amongst Plumose anemones (Metridium senile), red soft coral (Gersemia rubiformis), various sponges, bryozoans and calcareous tubeworms. Seven-Tree Island, Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647727-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647727-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647727-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647727-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Red Irish lord fish (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) Among thecamouflaged amongst Plumose anemones (Metridium senile), red soft coral (Gersemia rubiformis), various sponges, bryozoans and calcareous tubeworms. Seven-Tree Island, Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h3>We asked David what made the first 3 images above special for him<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Spotted Ratfish<\/strong><span> &#8220;This fish is a chimaera, a cartilaginous fish distantly related to sharks and rays.\u00a0 Most chimaeras live in water too deep for scuba diving, but in its northern range, and usually at night, this species may be encountered and photographed by divers.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Split level image of Sockeye Salmon.<\/strong><span> &#8220;I took this shot in 2010, during the\u00a0 largest \u201crun\u201d of sockeye in a century.<\/span>\u00a0 My aim was to get a split image while standing waist-deep in the river, with the sockeye swimming straight toward me, but was unable to do this during daylight hours, because the fish would not come close enough.\u00a0 Eventually I was able to get the image I wanted after sunset, when the fish seemed unable to detect my presence.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decorated Warbonnets.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 &#8220;These fish usually occur in deep water, 20-40 metres below the surface, where the light levels are low and safe bottom time is limited.\u00a0 When I found this cooperative individual after several years of unsuccessful searching, I was only able to take three photographs before a large octopus scared it away.\u00a0 More bad luck I thought, but when I download the images that night, I discovered that I had photographed not one warbonnet, but two! \u00a0\u00a0A very small male had apparently been hiding under his mate, whose swollen abdomen was presumably filled with eggs.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>The Pacific North West rivals tropical coral reefs in colour<\/h3>\n<p>The Pacific North West can even rival the coral reefs of tropical seas in its spectacularly colourful creatures.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery gallery-8622 style-scrollingstrip'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon portrait'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647729.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Northern kelp crab (Pugettia producta) large adult male is clinging to strands of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Nigei Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647729.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647729-117x150.jpg 117w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647729-300x384.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647729-768x983.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647729-320x410.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647729-375x480.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647729-600x768.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647729-83x106.jpg 83w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Northern kelp crab (Pugettia producta) large adult male is clinging to strands of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Nigei Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia. September.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>Northern kelp crab (Pugettia producta) large adult male is clinging to strands of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Nigei Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia. September.<\/strong> by David Hall<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon portrait'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"679\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647695.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Crimson anemone (Cribrinopsis fernaldi) with Candy-striped shrimps (Lebbeus grandimanus) living symbiotically. Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647695.jpg 679w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647695-99x150.jpg 99w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647695-300x452.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647695-320x483.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647695-375x566.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647695-600x905.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647695-70x106.jpg 70w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Crimson anemone (Cribrinopsis fernaldi) with Candy-striped shrimps (Lebbeus grandimanus) living symbiotically. Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>Crimson anemone (Cribrinopsis fernaldi) with Candy-striped shrimps (Lebbeus grandimanus) living symbiotically. Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.<\/strong> by David Hall<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"931\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Stubby squid (Rossia pacifica) Nigei Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774-150x136.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774-300x273.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774-768x698.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774-320x291.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774-375x341.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774-600x546.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774-900x818.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647774-117x106.jpg 117w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Stubby squid (Rossia pacifica) Nigei Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>Stubby squid (Rossia pacifica) Nigei Island, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada.<\/strong> by David Hall<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"988\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Purple-ringed Topsnail (Calliostoma annulatum), Orange Social Tunicate (Metandrocarpa taylori) and Lattice-work Bryozoan (Phidolophora pacifica), Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751-150x145.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751-300x289.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751-768x741.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751-320x309.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751-375x362.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751-600x579.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751-900x868.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647751-110x106.jpg 110w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Purple-ringed Topsnail (Calliostoma annulatum), Orange Social Tunicate (Metandrocarpa taylori) and Lattice-work Bryozoan (Phidolophora pacifica), Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>Purple-ringed Topsnail (Calliostoma annulatum), Orange Social Tunicate (Metandrocarpa taylori) and Lattice-work Bryozoan (Phidolophora pacifica), Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.<\/strong> by David Hall<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon portrait'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"699\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647724.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Red Irish lord fish (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) with Plumose anemones (Metridium senile) Seven-tree Island, Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. May.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647724.jpg 699w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647724-102x150.jpg 102w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647724-300x439.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647724-320x469.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647724-375x549.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647724-600x879.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647724-72x106.jpg 72w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Red Irish lord fish (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) with Plumose anemones (Metridium senile) Seven-tree Island, Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. May.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>Red Irish lord fish (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus) with Plumose anemones (Metridium senile) Seven-tree Island, Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. May.<\/strong> by David Hall<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"876\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"China rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus) Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. May.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696-150x128.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696-300x257.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696-768x657.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696-320x274.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696-375x321.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696-600x513.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696-900x770.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647696-124x106.jpg 124w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"China rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus) Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. May.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>China rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus) Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. May.<\/strong> by David Hall<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1006\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Lion&#039;s Mane Jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) with Blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) stealing food from the jellyfish&#039;s tentacles. Hunt Rock, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731-150x147.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731-300x295.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731-768x755.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731-320x314.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731-375x368.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731-600x589.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731-900x884.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/01647731-108x106.jpg 108w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Lion&#039;s Mane Jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) with Blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) stealing food from the jellyfish&#039;s tentacles. Hunt Rock, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>Lion's Mane Jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) with Blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) stealing food from the jellyfish&#039;s tentacles. Hunt Rock, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.<\/strong> by David Hall<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h3>The rewards of photographing the marine creatures of the Pacific Northwest, and the threats facing them<\/h3>\n<p>Q: Which of the many extraordinary marine creatures that live in this region did you find most rewarding to photograph, and why?<\/p>\n<p>A: &#8220;This is a difficult question for me to answer!\u00a0 But I think that the most rewarding images were the ones most difficult to capture.\u00a0 It took me years to get good photographs of Steller sea lions and harbour seals.\u00a0 I needed to be in the right place at the right time &#8211;\u00a0 and with the right lens on my camera.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The image of a giant Pacific Octopus in open water was sheer luck.\u00a0 I took a single flash photograph, and the octopus released its hold on a rock wall and swam straight out toward me. \u00a0The flash may have startled and confused it, or perhaps it was just curious.\u00a0 Not wanting this large, powerful animal to grab onto me, I furiously backed away while quickly grabbing two images without looking through the viewfinder.\u00a0 When the film was developed, I was amazed to see that both images were in perfect focus and \u00a0well-composed!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Q: Is this underwater wilderness threatened? \u2013 and if so what are the main threats it faces?<\/p>\n<p>A: &#8220;The temperate marine life of the Pacific Northwest is not yet as endangered as are coral reefs, which have already suffered severe damage in many places.\u00a0 Still, oil spills, such as the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989, are a serious threat.\u00a0 Overfishing of species such as rockfishes, salmon and herring, and overharvesting of some crabs, shrimp and abalone are another.\u00a0 Salmon stocks are also endangered by the damming of streams and rivers, as well as by the loss of genetic diversity caused by commercial fish farming.\u00a0 As in many other places, population growth and coastal development, logging, pollution, and climate change are also increasingly significant factors.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Explore the book gallery<\/h3>\n<p>If you&#8217;d like to take a deeper virtual dive into the waters of the Pacific Northwest, here is another link to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/books\/photographers-books\/beneath-cold-seas-by-david-hall.html\">new gallery of book images,<\/a> with more than 140 to marvel at.<\/p>\n<p>You can also enjoy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=14bgD9ZN6hM\">David&#8217;s video presentation of the book images<\/a>, with soothing musical accompaniment&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>David Hall Beneath Cold Seas David Hall&#8217;s first dive in the cold waters off British Columbia, Canada, was in 1995. This was the start of what he describes in his book Beneath Cold Seas as a love affair with the Pacific North West. &nbsp; Book published in 4 countries In the book, now published in&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/09\/david-hall-beneath-cold-seas\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"button\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-photographers","category-natural-inspiration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8622"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8622"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8634,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8622\/revisions\/8634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}